Pre-orders have certainly changed. Growing up as a gamer in the 90s and early 2000s, pre-orders were just a way to ensure you were able to get a copy of the latest and greatest title on launch day.
Fast forward 20 years and pre-orders play a different and more pivotal role in a game's development and marketing. It is not uncommon to have games being announced that are more than a year away from release but at the end of the teaser you're being told to pre-order now! Come on...
It seems that publishers are actively pushing pre-orders since it's easy money that most gamers are only too happy to pay up. In this digital delivery world where PSN, Xbox Live, and Steam exist there is no need to "reserve" your copy if your going to just download the game. And even if you plan on purchasing the box product, when is the last time you've heard of a game (excluding special editions) being completely sold out? In store and online. Consoles, yes, that is understandable, but actual games being sold out and nowhere to be found seems very rare almost impossible in this digital age.
The major problem with this "pay way before you play" model is that it takes the incentive away from publishers to release a polished product. Yes, I know you can always cancel a pre-order, but as long as publishers can keep up the ruse of promising a game that gamers have had over a year to project their hopes on (I'm looking at you Watch Dogs). It is unlikely they will cancel their pre-order short of a horrible public relations event or extreme downgrade in game quality in terms of graphics or gameplay. And even then, many gamers will still not cancel pre-orders and just hope it turns out okay.
If we stop with all this pre-order madness, maybe publishers will be forced to polish the game and deliver what they promise instead of getting paid long before the game is even out. But the sad reality is that many of us will just take whatever they give us and downplay the broken promises to justify our purchase.
Yes, it is once again tail time, thanks to Limited Run Games.
Tormeted Souls II has its apparent flaws, but it also happens to be a great horror game and throwback title to the classic survival horror days.
The Outerhaven writes: One of our Nintendo Switch 2 dock died less than a week after launch—and neither Nintendo nor GameStop offered real help. Here's why early adopters should be worried.
How much is a dock for that damn thing if they want $180 to “repair” that one? No way in hell that dock is that expensive.
Nintendo will Nintendo I guess.
I just looked on their website and they ask $120 for a dock.
Last week I got Switch Lite from Japan for $150.
The price they're asking for a Switch 2 dock is highway robbery.
"Ooh we've put the fan in its high technology that's some cutting-edge shit!"
You'll pay top dollar for plasticky dock with a fan in it.
I haven't pre-ordered a game since MGS 4 came out. Don't see the point, these days games are pretty much the same price in stores like Tesco and Asda if not cheaper at times.
I think the fear of not getting a game at launch scares people into a pre-order or just sheer impatience. Watchdogs, Destiny, Last of Us and Diablo 3; I've strolled into a store and picked each of them up on my lunch break at work on day of release.